The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device, and, particularly, to an effective technique applicable to a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a system including a microprocessor.
With increased integration of semiconductor devices, the development of an integration of all the systems including a microprocessing module in one semiconductor substrate, the so-called one chip microprocessor, is in progress. A semiconductor integrated circuit device of this kind is far superior in its high-speed performance to the system made up with a printed circuit board on which a plurality of semiconductor integrated circuit devices having each module (functional block) of said system integrated on a separate semiconductor substrate are mounted.
The inventor hereof is now developing an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit: IC dedicated for a specific use) as a semiconductor integrated circuit device. Among ASIC's, a semiconductor integrated circuit device using a standard cell method of a custom method has a plurality of modules of said system arranged in the central portion of the main surface of a semiconductor substrate (semiconductor chip) which is rectangular on its plane. The modules are automatically arranged as macro cell which forms functional blocks or circuit blocks in accordance with an automatic wiring distribution system (Design Automation). In the circumference of said system, each of the interface circuits (I/O buffering circuits) and external terminals (bonding pads) are sequentially arranged in the direction towards outside from the system side.
The semiconductor integrated circuit device using said standard cell method is mounted on a printed circuit board and is connected to a common external bus line provided on the printed circuit board. Each of the system modules integrated on the semiconductor integrated circuit device and the common external bus line provided on he printed circuit board are connected through said interface circuits and external terminals.
In this respect, there is known, for example, an article disclosing said ASIC on pp. 49-52 of July, 1987 issue of Denshi Zairyo (Electronic Materials) published by Kogyo Chosakai, Co, Inc.